No bail for Montshiwa�s suspected killers
Sharon Mathala | Wednesday January 13, 2016 15:23
The duo was arrested and charged with Montshiwa’s murder on December 29, 2015. They are charged alongside another man, who Police say is still at large.
In court yesterday, the state lawyer, Ernest Mosate said investigations into the matter are ongoing but indicated that because of the sensitivity of the case, the police will not disclose any further information.
“We will not be able to make any further disclosures. This is a highly sensitive case and at this point it is at a highly sensitive stage. We do not want to jeopardise such investigations, for instance, before the accused persons were served with their charge sheets, it was already circulating on social media,” he said, adding that “this is why we are a bit cagey about information being disclosed in open court.”
Mosate further told the full courtroom that the third accused person is still at large and is yet to be arrested, stating that whilst he is still on the run they (the prosecution) cannot stop him from communicating with his co accused.
Defence lawyer and former magistrate, Enoch Mazonde submitted that the two men are candidates for bail because they are not the main suspects. He said the main culprit is out on bail, and that the only reason the two men are still in prison is because the police have not yet caught the third accused person who is believed to be in South Africa. “It would seem that the main culprit is out there on bail. They should at least be charged with unlawful possession of firearms not murder,” he said on behalf of his clients. The defence lawyer further argued the investigators in the case have not yet searched the accused persons’ premises and that the said gun has not been retrieved. Earlier on, the Investigating Officer (IO) detective superintendent Sergeant Marapo explained how the police linked the two men to the case. He said despite their confessions, the accused had sold the riffle to another accused person in the matter. After setting the matter down, the magistrate, in front of deceased’s family members who had thronged the Village courtroom in large numbers, withheld bail for the men. The case will continue January 26, whilst another accomplice will appear on the January 25.